‘Pakistan will be under pressure since it is a weaker team as compared to India,’ Waqar Younis sparks debate

Legendary Pakistani pacer Waqar Younis has characterized Babar's team as a 'hit-and-miss' unit when it comes to World Cup competitions.

Former world champions Pakistan, often regarded as one of the most unpredictable teams in major tournaments, hold aspirations of clinching the coveted trophy at the upcoming ICC World Cup hosted in India next month. Pakistan, champions in the 1992 edition of the World Cup, under the captaincy of Babar Azam, also carry a strong desire to break their long-standing losing streak against arch-rivals India in the 50-over World Cup.

In a surprising turn of events at the T20 World Cup in 2021, Pakistan achieved the unthinkable by defeating India with a remarkable 10-wicket victory over Virat Kohli’s team. This historic win marked their first-ever triumph against India in World Cup events. Under the leadership of superstar Babar, the Men In Green further demonstrated their prowess by reaching the final of the World Cup last year in Australia. Despite currently holding the No.2 spot in One Day Internationals (ODIs), legendary Pakistani pacer Waqar Younis has characterized Babar’s team as a ‘hit-and-miss’ unit when it comes to World Cup competitions.

“As we all know, it (India vs Pakistan) will be the biggest game, mother of all the games. So, when you play in Ahmedabad, you will have to control your nerves, and not only Pakistan will be under pressure since it is a weaker team as compared to India. But India will also be under pressure because the crowd in the stadium will create pressure on both the teams,” Waqar Younis told Star Sports.

Also read: ‘Muslims in India will support Pakistan in World Cup,’ former Pakistani cricketer makes shocking remark

The former Pakistan captain also asserted that Team India holds an advantage over Babar Azam’s squad in the upcoming World Cup. Younis, who led Pakistan in the 2003 edition of the tournament, acknowledged that the injury to pacer Naseem Shah was a significant setback for Pakistan. Shah, the fast bowler, sustained a shoulder injury during the Asia Cup. Pakistan’s World Cup journey is set to commence with a match against the Netherlands at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on October 6.

“However, if we judge purely based on the team’s performance, India definitely will be a better team,” he added. Younis was also mindful of the Pakistani’s unstable form, and said the injury-enforced absence of pacer Naseem Shah could put them in a significant disadvantage. If I talk about Pakistan, they are a miss and hit this time. The absence of Naseem Shah will be a big disadvantage because Naseem and Shaheen (Afridi) used to complement each other with new ball,” Younis said.

IPL 2024

Related articles

IPL 2025 Orange and Purple Cap List- SKY Reaches Number 3

Under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, Mumbai Indians registered their fourth consecutive win by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by 7 wickets. The star performer with...

BCCI Central Contract 2025: 34 Players Including Shreyas Iyer Get Lucky, Awarded Central Contracts – What Happened to Ishan Kishan?

BCCI Central Contract 2025 Announced: Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan Return to the List of 34 Players The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)...

KKR vs GT, IPL 2025- Eden Gardens Pitch Report Today Match

The 39th match of IPL 2025 between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Gujarat Titans (GT) will be played at Eden Gardens. KKR comes into...

Suryakumar Makes a Strong Entry in IPL 2025 Orange Cap Race; Who is Owning the Purple Cap?

There have been consistent changes in the Orange Cap race in IPL 2025. Even after the double header on Sunday (April 20), there was...

RR vs LSG, IPL 2025- Sawai Mansingh Stadium Pitch Report Today Match

The 36th match of IPL 2025 between Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will be played today, Saturday, 19th April, at the...

RCB vs PBKS Playing 11: Punjab Likely to Make Major Changes Despite Win, Set to Clash with RCB in Bengaluru

In the 34th match of the Indian Premier League 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru will face off against Punjab Kings today at the M. Chinnaswamy...

RCB vs PBKS, IPL 2025- Chinnaswamy Stadium Pitch Report Today Match

The IPL 2025 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) will be held on Friday at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in...

MI vs SRH Pitch Report: How Will the Wankhede Stadium Pitch Behave? Check Out This Ground’s IPL Record

Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad will face each other today at the Wankhede Cricket Stadium in what is a crucial match for both teams,...